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InTheLoop | 08.03.2009

The weekly newsletter for Berkeley Lab Computing Sciences

August 3, 2009

CS All-Hands Meetings and Pizza Party on Wednesday, August 5

Everyone in Computing Sciences is invited to an all-hands meeting and a free pizza lunch on Wednesday, August 5. The lunch, from 12:30 to 1:30 p.m. on the cafeteria lawn, will be an opportunity to mingle with other CS staff members.

Because of auditorium construction, we won't have enough room for everyone to fit into one all-hands meeting, so you can attend either of two identical meetings: from 11:30 to 12:30 or from 1:30 to 2:30 in the 70A-3377 conference room. Agenda items will include:

Short presentations by Horst, Kathy and Steve on the state of CRD, NERSC and ESnet

Discussion of new programs, stimulus funding and future directions

Q&A

July Computing Sciences Newsletter Now Online

The latest edition of the monthly Computing Sciences newsletter is now online. Articles in this month's edition include the NERSC upgrade, ESnet’s OSCARS bandwidth reservation system, new staff hires and more.

New Job Posting: ESnet Project Manager

ESnet is seeking an experienced network deployment project manager The demand for fast and highly available networks by the scientific community leads to a challenging, fast-paced environment and the opportunity to assist the progress of important scientific research by providing critical network services. As the next step in high-speed networking, ESnet has been funded by the US American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 (ARRA) to build a prototype 100Gbps wide area network as well as a testbed to investigate the capabilities of new protocols and applications on a 100 Gbps infrastructure. ESnet is looking for an exceptional project manager to be a part of the ESnet team. Read more.

New Job Posting: Climate Research Scientist or Staff Scientist

The Scientific Computing Group in CRD is looking for an experienced Research/Staff Scientist to participate in a research project to investigate climate changes. In collaboration with climate scientists in CRD, as well as the Earth Sciences Division at LBNL, the successful candidate will be expected to contribute to the understanding of the mechanisms response for extreme weather events. Statistical analysis of observed extreme weather would be compared to climate model simulations of the past and the future to ascertain and improve the credibility of extreme weather projections under climate change scenarios. Options to develop one's own independent line of research will be especially encouraged. Read more

New Job Posting: Science & Technology Communications Specialist

The Computing Sciences Directorate is seeking a full-time communications specialist to develop and carry out a range of communications projects for various audiences. The Computing Sciences program at Berkeley Lab involves advanced research in applied mathematics, computational science, and computer science, as well as two major facilities, NERSC and ESnet. This is a two-year, term appointment with the possibility of renewal and with the possibility of conversion to career based upon satisfactory job performance, continuing availability of funds, and ongoing operational needs. Read more.

This Week’s Computing Sciences Seminars

What You Do on the Web Matters: How User Activity Logging Can Create a Smarter Web

With billions of pages available on the web, browsers and websites provide a rich array of tools designed to help users manage this wealth of information. Yet most of today's tools focus on individual web pages. Web search returns a list of individual pages; bookmarking tools only let you save individual pages. Often the information you want is found not on a single page, but spread across multiple pages, or within the actions we take on each of those pages.

In this talk I will present a family of systems developed by our group that leverage user activity logging to make the web more usable. The CoScripter system lets users capture, share, and reuse scripts to automate common tasks on the web. ActionShot lets you search through your action history and share snippets of what you did with your friends. Highlight lets you create customized versions of websites for use on a mobile device. Underlying all these applications is a common platform for recording and playback of user activity on the web.

Link of the Week: SeatGuru Illuminates Path to Best Airline Seats

With airlines cutting back flights and more people squeezing into the available seats, finding the least uncomfortable seat can be a challenge. SeatGuru provides an airline-by-airline guide to seating on all aircraft, complete with reviews and amenity lists. For example, you can see which seats have limited reclinability, which are narrower and which to avoid entirely. Locate your seat at SeatGuru.

About Computing Sciences at Berkeley Lab

The Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory (Berkeley Lab) Computing Sciences organization provides the computing and networking resources and expertise critical to advancing the Department of Energy's research missions: developing new energy sources, improving energy efficiency, developing new materials and increasing our understanding of ourselves, our world and our universe.

ESnet, the Energy Sciences Network, provides the high-bandwidth, reliable connections that link scientists at 40 DOE research sites to each other and to experimental facilities and supercomputing centers around the country. The National Energy Research Scientific Computing Center (NERSC) powers the discoveries of 6,000 scientists at national laboratories and universities, including those at Berkeley Lab's Computational Research Division (CRD). CRD conducts research and development in mathematical modeling and simulation, algorithm design, data storage, management and analysis, computer system architecture and high-performance software implementation. NERSC and ESnet are DOE Office of Science User Facilities.

Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory addresses the world's most urgent scientific challenges by advancing sustainable energy, protecting human health, creating new materials, and revealing the origin and fate of the universe. Founded in 1931, Berkeley Lab's scientific expertise has been recognized with 13 Nobel prizes. The University of California manages Berkeley Lab for the DOE’s Office of Science.

DOE’s Office of Science is the single largest supporter of basic research in the physical sciences in the United States, and is working to address some of the most pressing challenges of our time. For more information, please visit science.energy.gov.